Flooding in Hawthorne, New Jersey: the record, the rivers, and what to do
Hawthorne floods from two directions: the Passaic River along its southern edge and Goffle Brook running down through the middle of the borough. They behave very differently, and the public record explains both.
Hawthorne has 279 flood insurance claims on record with FEMA, and 22 properties on the National Flood Insurance Program repetitive-loss list. Most of that history comes from two sources: the Passaic River, which rises slowly over days after big regional storms and closes Wagaraw Road, and Goffle Brook with Deep Brook, small ungauged streams that overflow within hours of a downpour.
The short version
- FEMA records 279 flood insurance claims in Hawthorne, with the most in 1984, 2011 and 1999.
- As of August 2026, FEMA lists 22 repetitive-loss properties in Hawthorne, seven of them severe repetitive loss.
- The National Weather Service says Wagaraw Road in Hawthorne closes when the Passaic at Little Falls reaches 10 feet; Irene crested there at 14.19 feet.
- FEMA identifies an inadequate culvert north of Wagaraw Road and the Goffle Road and Goffle Hill Road junction as Goffle Brook and Deep Brook trouble spots.
- The Passaic rises over days; Goffle Brook is ungauged and can overflow within hours of heavy rain.
Hawthorne by the numbers
The US Census Bureau puts Hawthorne at 19,628 residents in 8,046 homes, with a median year built of 1953 and about 30.9 per cent of households renting (American Community Survey, 2020–2024). FEMA flood insurance data show 279 National Flood Insurance Program claims in the borough over the life of the programme. The heaviest single years were 1984 with 29 claims, 2011 with 25, 1999 with 22 and 1979 with 19. By named event, FEMA records 21 claims from Hurricane Floyd, 17 from Hurricane Irene, 11 from the April 2007 nor'easter and 10 from Hurricane Ida. As of August 2, 2026, FEMA lists 22 Hawthorne properties as repetitive-loss properties, seven of them in the severe repetitive-loss category, meaning they have flooded and been claimed on again and again.
The Passaic River: a slow, very large flood
The Passaic forms Hawthorne's boundary with Paterson for about three quarters of a mile, according to the borough's own environmental inventory, and by the time it passes the borough it is draining almost 800 square miles. The US Geological Survey puts the drainage area at 762 square miles at Little Falls and 779 at Paterson. A river that size does not flash. It rises over a day or two after a big storm as water works its way down the basin. During Irene the Little Falls gauge crested on August 30, 2011, two days after the storm passed, at 14.19 feet. That is the highest reading there since the 17.5-foot crest of October 1903, according to the National Weather Service. Other high crests include 12.91 feet in April 1984, 11.88 feet in April 2007 and 11.87 feet in March 2010, and more recently 10.29 feet on December 20, 2023.
What the Little Falls gauge means in Hawthorne
There is no river gauge in Hawthorne itself, but the National Weather Service ties Hawthorne impacts to the Little Falls gauge upstream. Its current categories are 7 feet for minor flooding, 8 for moderate and 9 for major. At 8 feet, the NWS says the recycling centre and the Wagaraw Road ball field complex in Hawthorne begin to flood. At 10 feet, Wagaraw Road is closed and homes and businesses directly along the river begin to flood. At 12 feet, Wagaraw Road is closed between Lafayette Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, Passaic Avenue, Schoon Avenue and Vincent Street close, and homes and businesses flood. Irene, at 14.19 feet, was well beyond all of these. Near Wagaraw Road, the Little Falls forecast crest is the number to look up when a big storm is coming.
Goffle Brook and Deep Brook: the fast flood
The borough's environmental inventory records that Deep Brook and Goffle Brook both rise in Bergen County and flow south into Hawthorne, where they join; Goffle Brook then runs on into the Passaic. FEMA's Flood Insurance Study for Passaic County names both as sources of additional flooding in Hawthorne and is specific about where. Low-lying land and an inadequate culvert under the industrial complex north of Wagaraw Road cause the brook to leave its banks and flow over Wagaraw Road. Flooding also occurs where Deep Brook meets Goffle Brook, at the intersection of Goffle Road and Goffle Hill Road. FEMA notes both streams are ungauged, so unlike the Passaic there is no crest forecast to watch: a flash flood warning is the only signal. Local news showed the pattern again in late July 2026, when ABC7 reported Hawthorne flooding on two straight nights of torrential rain and Goffle Brook, which runs through the borough, overflowing.
What has been planned
FEMA's Flood Insurance Study reproduces the mitigation actions Hawthorne listed in the 2010 Passaic County hazard mitigation plan: backup power, elevating seven sewer and water pump stations along the Passaic above the floodplain, re-channelling Goffle Brook into the Passaic, and stream stabilisation and bank work on Goffle Brook. The same study notes that Hawthorne is among the towns that clear debris from streams after significant storms. The study does not say which of these actions has been completed, and this page does not either. The county plan has been updated since, and the borough's current actions are set out in the latest Passaic County hazard mitigation plan.
What this means if you own or rent here
Start with the address, not the town. Hawthorne has no verified borough-wide flood-zone figure, and the FEMA Flood Map Service Center will show whether a specific property is in a mapped flood zone along the Passaic, Goffle Brook or Deep Brook. If you are near Wagaraw Road, Goffle Road or the river, keep nothing you value on a basement floor and know where the car goes when a warning is issued. Never drive through water on Wagaraw Road; it is the road both sources flood. Flood damage is insured separately from a standard homeowners or renters policy, and FEMA states that a new flood policy normally takes 30 days to take effect, so it cannot be bought once a storm is forecast. Whether a particular loss is covered is decided by your insurer and the wording of your policy. Renters should note that a landlord's policy does not protect a tenant's belongings.
Common questions
Does Hawthorne, NJ flood?
Yes. FEMA records 279 National Flood Insurance Program claims in the borough and 22 repetitive-loss properties. Flooding comes from the Passaic River along the Paterson boundary and from Goffle Brook and Deep Brook inside the borough. Wagaraw Road is affected by both.
Which gauge should Hawthorne residents watch?
For the Passaic, the National Weather Service gauge at Little Falls. The NWS says the Wagaraw Road ball fields begin to flood at 8 feet and Wagaraw Road closes at 10 feet. Goffle Brook and Deep Brook have no gauge, so for those streams a flash flood warning is the signal to act.
Why does Goffle Brook flood Wagaraw Road?
FEMA's Flood Insurance Study for Passaic County attributes it to low-lying land and an inadequate culvert under the industrial complex north of Wagaraw Road, which forces water out of the channel and over the road.
How do I find out if my Hawthorne home is in a flood zone?
Search the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov. There is no verified borough-wide percentage, and flood risk in Hawthorne is concentrated along the river and the two brooks.
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